Eleven fifty at noon, Jiangcheng.
Mu Yan stood in front of her own anti-theft door, staring in a daze at the spring couplet with its curling edge—still the one she had pasted by hand during Chinese New Year.
Was there still time to turn and run?
Two thousand steps and she could be back at the rental apartment.
Even if she ran, she would be hunted down two thousand kilometers by Mu Siyi afterward.
She took a deep breath and raised her hand to knock.
The door opened.
Mu Siyi was wearing a pink apron, her bun hairstyle exploding with loose strands; when she saw her, her eyes lit up with a swish.
“Jiejie is here! Come in come in! Mom! My friend is here!”
Before Mu Yan could even open her mouth, a head poked out from the kitchen.
Mom had short hair with a bit of curl, soy sauce stains still on her apron; she held the spatula and froze for two seconds—probably hadn’t expected such a small one.
“Aiyo, this is the friend Siyi mentioned? Come in quick, it’s hot outside.”
The moment she stepped into the living room, Mu Yan’s gaze first pinned on the shoe rack in the entryway.
That pair of blue-and-white slippers was still there, not thrown away.
Mu Siyi followed her gaze and glanced over, corners of her mouth curling.
“Those are my ge’s, you wear these. Anyway it’s not the first time you’re wearing his things.”
Fine, thirty seconds into the opening and it’s already starting, huh.
The dishes were quickly set out on the table: braised pork ribs, sweet-and-sour pork tenderloin, green pepper shredded pork, the standard Mu family hospitality spec.
Dad came out of the bedroom wearing reading glasses; when he saw her he also paused, probably rapidly searching in his brain—when did his own daughter get to know such a pretty little girl.
“Hello Uncle and Auntie, my name is Mu Yan.”
The moment the words fell, both elders stopped moving at the same time.
“…Mu Yan?” Mom’s voice lightened a bit. “Exactly the same name as my son…”
The air went quiet for two seconds.
Mu Siyi picked up right on cue. “Yeah Mom, what a coincidence! Same name and surname. The first time I saw her I thought my ge had secretly gotten a girlfriend.”
Mom’s gaze changed on the spot.
“You and our little Yan… are friends?”
“Way more than friends.”
Mu Siyi pulled out a chair and sat, chin in hand, smiling brightly as she stared at Mu Yan.
“Right Jiejie? What exactly is your relationship with my ge, you say it yourself.”
Say my ass, did you even leave me room to speak.
Mom sat down, her gaze never leaving her. “Miss Mu Yan, is your family all over here? Or do you live alone?”
Mu Yan’s hand pausing while picking up food hesitated.
She had already made up this answer before coming.
“My parents are both gone.”
The dining table instantly went silent.
Anyway in their eyes, their son was already gone.
This line was the most convenient, no need to explain why she didn’t go home, no need to drag in messy relatives.
Mom’s gaze immediately softened; looking at the quiet little girl in front of her with almost no expression, the more she looked the more her heart ached, she stretched her chopsticks and picked the biggest piece of rib into her bowl.
“Child, come over often to eat at home from now on. A little girl outside isn’t easy, if you have difficulties just tell Auntie.”
“Yes yes,” Dad nodded along. “You’re little Yan’s friend, that makes you our family’s child.”
Mu Yan looked at the ribs piled up in her bowl, silent for two seconds.
Thanks… just hearing this said to my face always feels a bit weird somewhere.
“Thank you Uncle and Auntie.”
Mu Siyi put down her orange juice, stretched her chopsticks and picked a piece of green pepper for her.
Mu Yan stared at that green piece, expressionless.
You know perfectly well I don’t eat green peppers.
“Jiejie doesn’t like green peppers? My ge doesn’t like them either. Every time Mom makes green pepper shredded pork he picks them all out and leaves them in the bowl, so picky.”
Mu Siyi said slowly. “Jiejie is so familiar with my ge, tastes wouldn’t happen to be the same too, right?”
The table went quiet again.
Mu Yan picked up the green pepper and stuffed it in her mouth without changing expression.
Ate it. Let’s see what else you say.
Mu Siyi blinked, smiling even sweeter.
“Jiejie is so amazing, even things she doesn’t like she can swallow without changing expression. I couldn’t, I can’t touch a single bite of what I don’t like.”
Just shut up already.
Mom didn’t notice the undercurrent between the two, only felt this child was too well-behaved, quiet and still, must have had no one to care for her since childhood.
She kept urging more dishes, even telling her to come over every weekend to eat.
Mu Yan agreed to each one.
By the latter half of the meal, Mu Siyi finally restrained a bit, only glancing up at her while picking food, corners of her mouth curling so high they couldn’t be pressed down.
The bowls and chopsticks had just been set down when Mu Siyi stood up.
“Jiejie don’t rush to leave, come sit in my room for a bit.”
Mu Yan’s back stiffened.
What do you want to do.
“…I should go back.”
“It’s only a little after one, go back for what? That rental apartment of yours doesn’t even have air conditioning, hot as a steamer.”
Mu Siyi grabbed her wrist in one move, force not large but locked dead tight. “Jiejie wouldn’t be that heartless, right?”
Mom poked her head out from the kitchen to add the finishing blow.
“Yes Mu Yan, stay for dumplings tonight! Auntie will wrap them for you, chive and egg filling!”
Mom, don’t assist the attack.
Half pulled half dragged into the room, click, the door lock snapped shut.
Mu Siyi leaned against the door, arms crossed, tilting her head to size her up.
The room was still the same as in memory.
Floral bedsheets, tutoring materials piled on the desk, corkboard pinned full of sticky notes and photos, light pink curtains filtering the sunlight warm and melting.
An extra photo frame at the corner of the desk—the one from when she took Mu Siyi to the amusement park in high school, herself still foolishly making a scissors hand.
Mu Yan stared at the photo frame without making a sound.
“Looks good, right?” Mu Siyi walked over, picked up the frame and shook it.
“Dug it out from your rental apartment. Taken so ugly, this hairstyle, this scissors hand… but sitting on the desk it’s still pretty easy on the eyes. What do you think?”
Mu Yan raised her eyes, tone flat. “The door is already closed, stop pretending.”
“Pretending what, Jiejie?”
Mu Siyi’s face was full of innocence, like a cat that just finished wrecking the house and still acts like nothing happened. “I’m not pretending～”
“You know who I am.”
“I know,” she put the frame back, hands behind her back and leaning slightly forward. “You’re my ge’s friend.”
I really give up.
“Mu Siyi.”
“Hm?”
“You’re playing dumb.”
“Playing dumb? What is Jiejie saying～” She tilted her head.
“Did you eat too full and get sleepy? Want to lie on my bed and sleep a bit? My bed is super soft.”
“At the table you deliberately picked green peppers for me.”
“I just wanted to verify, who told Jiejie to have such similar tastes to my ge.”
“You flipped through my diary.”
“That was my ge’s diary, not Jiejie’s. What, Jiejie also writes diaries? Let me see?”
Mu Yan was silent for three seconds, looking straight at her.
“Mu Siyi. I am your ge.”
The air went quiet for two seconds.
Mu Siyi blinked, then—
Puff.
She covered her mouth and laughed out loud, shoulders bouncing.
“Jiejie’s joke is so funny. You’re my ge? My ge is a boy, and you?”
How long are you going to play this.
“The Grim Reaper told you three days ago.”
“Grim Reaper?”
Mu Siyi tilted her head, confusion just right.
“What Grim Reaper? Did Jiejie stay up too late watching anime last night? My ge also used to stay up late watching shows, next day in class dozing off and getting called by the teacher… you two are alike even in this.”
“Mu Siyi.”
“Hm～?”
“You’re enjoying this process, right.”
Mu Siyi’s smile didn’t change, but her eyes lit up a bit.
“What process? I’m just properly entertaining gege’s friend. …By the way!”
She turned and pulled open the wardrobe, dug out a neatly folded pink T-shirt with a rabbit holding a carrot printed on the chest.
“Change into this for dumplings tonight, wearing a dress is too formal, Mom will think you’re treating us as outsiders. I bought it last year, only wore it once, washed clean.”
Mu Yan looked at that pink rabbit, corners of her mouth unable to move—after all, poker face.
“…You’re making me wear this.”
“Yeah, so cute, perfect match for this face of yours.”
Mu Siyi scanned her up and down.
“This face now is the cute route, have to make use of it. The previous kind… uh, anyway wearing more pink has no downside.”
“You almost let it slip just now.”
“Let it slip? What did I say?” She blinked, face full of innocence.
“I said Jiejie must have liked wearing dark colors before, but pink really suits you better. Really.”
The correction was so fast.
Mu Yan didn’t chase further.
She understood Mu Siyi too well; once she decided to play dumb, it was an iron wall, couldn’t be pried open.
And if it was really laid out, she didn’t know how to face Mom and Dad either.
Just like this then.
She reached out and took the T-shirt. “Got it.”
“Great!” Mu Siyi clapped her hands. “Then change into it now, anyway dinner is still early. I’ll go out and pour you water～”
“Wait.”
Mu Siyi stopped at the door and looked back.
Mu Yan held up the T-shirt, expressionless.
“This shirt, when you bought it last year you said it was too small, wore it once and stuffed it at the very bottom of the wardrobe.”
“Eh? How does Jiejie know? So amazing～” She came closer, eyes sparkling.
“Could it be my ge told you? He even told you what’s in my wardrobe, your relationship really isn’t ordinary, right?”
Mu Yan: “…Guessed.”
“Guessed so accurately? Jiejie can go buy lottery tickets.”
Mu Siyi pulled the door open, looking back again before going out. “By the way Jiejie, the way you are now is way cuter than my ge. Keep it up.”
The door closed.
Mu Yan stood in place, staring at the pink rabbit T-shirt in her hands for ten seconds.
The rabbit’s black button eyes seemed to be silently mocking her.
What did that last sentence of hers mean.
Expressionlessly she started changing clothes.
From outside drifted the tune Mu Siyi was humming, very light and cheerful.
When Mu Siyi came back carrying water and orange juice, Mu Yan had already changed into the T-shirt, sitting properly on the edge of the bed, poker face looking at her.
“Perfect. This style from now on, next week I’ll take you to buy new clothes.” Mu Siyi handed over the orange juice. “Oh right, that dress I lent you, remember to return it.”
“At the table you said you were giving it to me.”
“Did I say that? Don’t remember. Jiejie must have been hearing things.”
Mu Yan quietly looked at her.
Using all your schemes on me is really overkill.
Mu Siyi sat down beside her, took a sip of water, turned her head, eyes clearly writing “I’m about to cause trouble.”
“Jiejie, the afternoon is still long, want to watch a movie? My ge’s hard drive has a lot saved. Comedy? Horror? Or…”
She paused, corners of her mouth curling up.
“Romance?”
Mu Yan expressionless. “Whatever.”
“Whatever isn’t a good answer. Whatever means I choose, and what I choose you’ll definitely regret.”
Mu Siyi opened the computer, flipped through the hard drive for a while, and clicked one.
The screen jumped out with the title: My Gege’s Girlfriend Couldn’t Possibly Be This Cute.
Mu Yan stared at the title, fell silent.
Does this title actually exist.
“What’s wrong Jiejie? The title is so interesting.” Mu Siyi turned back and smiled. “It’s about the little sister discovering gege secretly got a girlfriend, then doing everything to matchmake them, super funny.”
“Your ge isn’t even here anymore, doesn’t watching this kind of movie feel bad?”
Why did my cheap mouth ask this.
“Doesn’t feel bad.” She turned back and sat properly, voice a bit lighter.
“I feel like my ge didn’t really leave. Someone like him can’t die. Even if he died he’d find a way to run back, just the method might be a bit ridiculous… like turning into a cat, a dog, or…”
She looked back at Mu Yan, smile spreading up.
“Something else.”
Mu Yan didn’t speak.
The movie started.
When the opening song played, Mu Siyi dragged the chair to the bedside, sat down with her arm pressed against Mu Yan’s arm.
Mu Yan reflexively shifted to the side—this body was cold as ice, getting too close would easily give it away.
Result, Mu Siyi directly reached out and wrapped her arm, pulling the person back.
“Don’t move, watch the movie seriously.” She pressed her face against Mu Yan’s arm, contentedly squinting her eyes. “And Jiejie’s body is so cool, do you have cold constitution?”
“…Mm.”
“Oh～ cold constitution.” Mu Siyi nodded perfunctorily, hugging even tighter. “Perfect, use you as an ice pack in summer. In winter you just wear more, I’ll lend you sweaters.”
You’ve even planned how to use me through all four seasons, huh.
Halfway through the movie, the female lead hid behind a potted plant tracking gege’s date, stupid beyond belief.
Mu Siyi laughed while commenting, “This female lead is too noob, the pot only reaches her knees, who can it block? If it were me I’d just sit next to them pretending to run into them, that would be stimulating.”
When it got to the male and female leads finally confirming their relationship, Mu Siyi suddenly pressed pause.
“Jiejie.”
“Mm.”
“Do you think my ge would also be like in the movie, secretly getting a girlfriend outside?”
Mu Yan turned her head to look at her.
Mu Siyi was also looking at her, smile hanging at the corners of her mouth, but her eyes were serious.
“…Didn’t you say not girlfriend.”
“I know, I just want to ask your opinion.” She rested her chin on her hand.
“After all you’re so familiar with my ge—living in his house, wearing his clothes, using his WeChat. You must understand him the most. What do you think?”
Here we go again.
“No.”
“Why?”
“He didn’t have that kind of mind.”
“How do you know?”
Mu Yan was silent for two seconds. “Guessed.”
Mu Siyi stared at her for three seconds, then puffed out a laugh.
“Okay, then change the question. Does Jiejie have a boyfriend?”
Mu Yan’s eyes widened a tiny bit—this was the most intense expression change since she became a doll.
“No.”
“Then a girlfriend?”
“…Also no.”
“Then perfect,” Mu Siyi clapped her hands, smiling brilliantly. “I don’t have a boyfriend either. We…”
“What exactly did you keep me here to do.” Mu Yan hurriedly interrupted.
“Want you to accompany me more.” Mu Siyi tilted her head, tone softening.
“You living alone in the rental apartment is so boring, here there’s air conditioning, snacks, and me, just treat it as vacation. Look how much you gained today: ate a good meal, got a long-term meal ticket, picked up a dress for free, plus a pink rabbit T-shirt.”
“Plus green peppers.”
“Green peppers supplement vitamin C, beautify and nourish the face. This face of yours is so cute, needs maintenance.”
Maintenance. What does a doll maintain, add lubricating oil?
By the time the movie finished, the sun had already slanted west.
Mu Siyi stretched, reached out a hand to her. “Let’s go, Mom should have finished wrapping the dumplings. You sit obediently and aren’t allowed to run, if you dare run…”
She leaned down, came close to Mu Yan’s ear, voice light and wicked.
“I’ll tell Mom you’re actually my ge’s girlfriend, just too embarrassed to admit it. Then Mom will drag you and ask all night how you met, how long you’ve been together, when you plan to get married. Guess whether you can withstand it.”
Mu Yan stood up expressionlessly and walked straight toward the door.
Threat. Another threat.
“I’ll stay.”
“So good～” Mu Siyi ruffled her hair, like petting a cat.
“The pink T-shirt suits you, wear more pink from now on.”
Pulling open the door and walking to the living room, Mu Siyi shouted toward the kitchen, “Mom! Are the dumplings ready? Jiejie is hungry!”
“Almost almost! Wait five more minutes! Mu Yan ah, chive and egg filling, as much as you want!”
Mu Yan stood in the center of the living room, wearing the pink rabbit T-shirt, looking expressionlessly at the busy back in the kitchen, then at the smiling Mu Siyi beside her.
I want to die.
“What’s Jiejie thinking?”
“Thinking how to make the Grim Reaper die one more time.”
“Oh～” Mu Siyi nodded, tone light as chatting about a variety show.
“Then you got this, if you need help just say. Although I might not be able to help, I can shout ‘jiayou’ from the side for you.”
Mu Yan turned her head to look at her.
Mu Siyi returned a perfect sweet smile, then suddenly as if remembering something, tilted her head.
“By the way Jiejie, what did you say the Grim Reaper told me just now? What exactly is a Grim Reaper? Sounds so chuuni, is it a mobile game character you play?”
Mu Yan stared at her sparkling eyes, couldn’t find a single crack.
It’s starting again.
“…Nothing.”
“Okay～ if Jiejie doesn’t want to say then forget it.” Mu Siyi shrugged, turned and shouted toward the kitchen again, “Mom! Jiejie is so hungry she’s talking nonsense!”
“What nonsense?” Mom poked her head out.
“She said she wants to marry—”
Mu Yan, at the maximum speed this body could achieve, reached out and covered her mouth.
Mu Siyi, mouth covered, eyes curved into two crescent moons, didn’t struggle in the slightest.
Mom looked at the two girls making a fuss together and laughed. “You two have such a good relationship. Siyi, don’t bully Jiejie.”
Mu Siyi said muffled from between the fingers, “I’m not bullying her～ just playing around～”
Mom laughed and withdrew back into the kitchen.
Mu Yan let go, expressionless. “What were you about to say just now.”
“Nothing,” Mu Siyi tidied her bangs, smile unchanged. “Just said you were hungry and talking nonsense. Jiejie reacted so big, is there a ghost in your heart?”
Mu Yan didn’t speak.
She definitely wanted to say marry my ge. The first word of the mouth shape was marry, I saw it.
Mu Siyi hummed a song as she went to the kitchen to bring the dumplings, leaving Mu Yan standing alone in the living room, facing the familiar furnishings filling the house, and let out a deep sigh.